Topical Encyclopedia In the biblical context, festivals hold significant religious, cultural, and historical importance. They are divinely instituted occasions for worship, remembrance, and community gathering, often marked by specific rituals and sacrifices. The festivals in the Bible serve as a means for the Israelites to commemorate God's mighty acts, express gratitude, and renew their covenant relationship with Him.Old Testament Festivals The Old Testament outlines several key festivals that the Israelites were commanded to observe. These festivals are primarily detailed in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They include: 1. Passover (Pesach): Instituted in Exodus 12, Passover commemorates the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It marks the beginning of the Jewish religious calendar and involves the sacrifice of a lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. "This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD. You are to celebrate it as a permanent statute for the generations to come" (Exodus 12:14). 2. Feast of Unleavened Bread: Directly following Passover, this seven-day festival involves eating unleavened bread to remember the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. "For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you are to remove the leaven from your houses" (Exodus 12:15). 3. Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost): Celebrated seven weeks after Passover, this festival marks the wheat harvest and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. "You are to count off seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering" (Leviticus 23:15). 4. Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah): This festival marks the beginning of the civil year and is a time of reflection and repentance. "In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly announced by trumpet blasts" (Leviticus 23:24). 5. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): A solemn day of fasting and repentance, it is the most sacred day of the Jewish year. "This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you must humble yourselves and not do any work" (Leviticus 16:29). 6. Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): This week-long festival celebrates the harvest and commemorates the Israelites' wilderness wanderings. "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the LORD’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it continues for seven days" (Leviticus 23:34). New Testament Context In the New Testament, Jesus and His disciples observed these Jewish festivals, which often provided the backdrop for His teachings and miracles. For instance, Jesus' crucifixion coincided with Passover, symbolizing Him as the ultimate Passover Lamb. "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, is notably significant in the New Testament as the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, marking the birth of the Church. "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place" (Acts 2:1). Christian Observance While the early Church initially observed Jewish festivals, over time, distinct Christian festivals developed, such as Easter and Christmas, to commemorate the resurrection and birth of Jesus Christ, respectively. These festivals continue to be central to Christian worship and community life, serving as times of reflection, celebration, and renewal of faith. In summary, biblical festivals are deeply rooted in the narrative of God's redemptive work and serve as enduring reminders of His faithfulness and provision throughout history. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (a.) Pertaining to a fest; festive; festal; appropriate to a festival; joyous; mirthful.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia FESTIVALfes'-ti-val. Greek 1859. heorte -- a feast, a festival ... a feast, a festival. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: heorte Phonetic Spelling: (heh-or-tay') Short Definition: a festival, feast Definition: a ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1859.htm - 6k 1858b. heortazo -- to celebrate a festival 2970. komos -- a village festival, revel 4005. pentekoste -- fiftieth, Pentecost, the second of the three ... 3561. noumenia -- new moon. 4634. skenopegia -- the setting up of tents 3831. paneguris -- a festal assembly 1858. heortazo -- to be like 3957. pascha -- the Passover, the Passover supper or lamb 2121. eukairos -- timely Strong's Hebrew 2282. chag -- a festival gathering, feast, pilgrim feast... 2281, 2282. chag. 2283 . a festival gathering, feast, pilgrim feast. Transliteration: chag Phonetic Spelling: (khag) Short Definition: feast. ... /hebrew/2282.htm - 6k 2287. chagag -- to make a pilgrimage, keep a pilgrim feast 4150. moed -- appointed time, place, or meeting 1974. hillul -- a rejoicing, praise 8057. simchah -- joy, gladness, mirth 3104. yobel -- a ram, ram's horn (a wind instrument) 6116. atsarah -- an assembly 6453. pesach -- passover 4682. matstsah -- unleavened bread or cake 3677. kese -- full moon Library The Festival of the Birth-Day of Manich??us. On the Festival of the Nativity, viii. Motets for Festival Occasions The Festival of Games, in Honor of Augustus, were About to Begin ... Hymns, Festival and Occasional. On a Special Christian Festival Occasion. Epistle xiv. --From his Fourth Festival Epistle. CMJ Weiss. For a Summer Festival. Another Heresy, that of the Sabbatians, is Originated by the ... And it came to Pass that the Festival of the Dedication was at ... Thesaurus Festival (62 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Pertaining to a fest; festive; festal; appropriate to a festival; joyous; mirthful. Int. ...FESTIVAL. fes'-ti-val. ... /f/festival.htm - 23k Festival-robes (2 Occurrences) Festival-day (1 Occurrence) Dionysia Purim (5 Occurrences) Holyday (2 Occurrences) Pur (3 Occurrences) Pentecost (3 Occurrences) Easter (1 Occurrence) Passover (81 Occurrences) Resources What is the Diwali festival in Hinduism? | GotQuestions.orgShould Christians participate in religious festivals of other religions? | GotQuestions.org Did Jesus lie to His brothers in John 7:8 10? | GotQuestions.org Festival: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Festival (62 Occurrences)Matthew 26:5 Matthew 27:15 Mark 14:2 Mark 15:6 Luke 22:1 John 2:23 John 4:45 John 5:1 John 6:4 John 7:2 John 7:8 John 7:10 John 7:11 John 7:14 John 7:37 John 10:22 John 11:56 John 12:12 John 12:20 John 13:29 Acts 2:1 Acts 20:16 1 Corinthians 5:8 1 Corinthians 16:8 Colossians 2:16 Exodus 5:1 Exodus 10:9 Exodus 12:14 Exodus 13:6 Exodus 23:14 Exodus 23:18 Exodus 32:5 Leviticus 23:39 Leviticus 23:41 Numbers 15:3 Numbers 28:17 Numbers 29:12 Judges 9:27 Judges 21:19 1 Samuel 20:5 1 Samuel 20:18 1 Samuel 20:24 1 Kings 8:2 1 Kings 8:65 1 Kings 12:32 1 Kings 12:33 2 Chronicles 7:8 2 Chronicles 7:9 2 Chronicles 30:22 2 Chronicles 30:23 Nehemiah 8:12 Psalms 42:4 Psalms 81:3 Psalms 118:27 Isaiah 3:22 Isaiah 30:29 Ezekiel 45:23 Hosea 2:11 Hosea 9:5 Hosea 12:9 Zephaniah 3:18 Malachi 2:3 Subtopics Related Terms |